Focus Group: _______________________
Are you Religious, Spiritual, or both? Why or Why not? Do you identify as any specific religion? Why or Why not? How often do you think about Religion/Spirituality? Why? What do you think about…
Agnosticism Atheism Buddhism Christianity Hinduism Islam Judaism Paganism Scientology Spirituality Wicca
Name as many Books, Movies, Television Shows, and Songs that touch on Religion/Spirituality. What influence do you feel media has on people’s personal philosophies?
How do you think Media represents the following… Agnosticism Atheism Buddhism Christianity Hinduism Islam Judaism Paganism Scientology Spirituality Wicca
Are there any Religious/Spiritual groups are incorrectly portrayed in the media? If so, How? Are you offended by any of the portrayals of a specific Religious/Spiritual group?
114 Appendix B
Focus Group Survey 2
Focus Group: ______________________________
After seeing the clips, do you feel that media influences ideologies? If so, how and what specifically?
How did the scenes represent religion and spirituality? Commercials
Fight Club
The Matrix
O Brother Where art Thou?
Movie Trailers
Montage
Do you think media affects people before it is pointed out to them, or does it have to be pointed out to them in order for a person to be affected?
In seeing the beginning montage, what stuck out at you, what did it make you think about?
115 Appendix C
Interview Questions
Thank you for taking the time to participate in this interview today. Before we begin, I would like to give you the opportunity to read and sign the consent form.
[After form is collected] As you know from reading the consent form, this study is intended to shed light on where students are learning about religion and spirituality and the role that popular media may or may not play.
This conversation is strictly confidential and care will be taken to exclude all names and identifying characteristics/information from the data. It is important that you do not use any names during this interview as their privacy is important as well. I would like your permission to record our conversation on tape so that I can more accurately reflect your thoughts and
experiences.
This conversation will focus on your perceptions of spirituality, religion, and faith in your life and in the media. There are no right or wrong answers, and you are welcome to answer questions you feel comfortable discussing and passing on any that you would rather not discuss.
Participants Past Religious and Spiritual Experiences
1. Tell me about your religious/spiritual background then and now… 2. How do you define religion, spirituality, faith, God, and beliefs?
a) Are there attributes that you assign to God? If so, what are they? b) Does God play a role in your faith? If so, what is it?
3. Do you ask yourself questions about your religion, spirituality, faith, ideas about God or beliefs? If so, what are they?
4. Does religion, spirituality, faith, ideas about God and beliefs play a role in your daily life? What role?
Where Participants learn and connect with others about Religion and Spirituality
5. Have your religion, spirituality, faith, ideas about God or beliefs changed since attending college? How?
6. Where or how do you learn about your religion, spirituality, faith, ideas about God and beliefs? 7. Who do you look to for spiritual and or religious direction or insight? Why?
8. Is there a significant time in your life where you felt spiritually connected to someone, something?
9. Is there a moment that has had the greatest impact on your religion or spirituality that you would like to share? Explain?
Participants Understanding of Popular Culture and Religion and Spirituality
10. Does popular culture play a role in your religion, spirituality, faith, ideas about God and beliefs? If so, What role?
a) Does popular culture change the way you view others’ or your own religion, spirituality, faith, ideas about God and beliefs? If so, how?
116
appropriately? Inappropriately?
12. What does this picture/object make you feel, or think about?
13. Did these prompt any other thoughts, ideas or opinions that you would like to discuss?
14. Is there something else that you thought we were going to talk about?
15. Can you identify where the following images are from? What are their significance? Religion in the Media
1. Have you seen religion, spirituality, and faith, or God represented in media? If so, how? 2. Do you think that religion, spirituality, faith, and God are represented in the media fairly
or unfairly? Explain
3. Is there one ideology or idea that is represented appropriately or inappropriately? Which and Why or Why not?
4. Do you feel that your religious, spiritual, and or faith identity are represented appropriately though the media? Why or Why not?
5. What do you think the media says about Agnosticism, Atheism, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Paganism, Spirituality, and Wicca?
6. How many hours a day would you say you engaged in media before our first interview? After?
7. Can you identify where the following images are from? What is their significance?
The Participants thoughts on what and or who is most influential on students religious ideas 8. In college, who do you think is the most influential person on a college student’s spiritual
identity?
9. What do you think about Madonna, Mel Gibson, and Tom Cruise and how their practice of their religion is depicted? Why?
The Participants Understanding of other students’ ideas about Religion and the Media 10. Do you think this is something that students notice? Understand? Care about?
11. Do you think that religion, spirituality, faith, and God represented in the media affects college students understanding of other religions? His or her own? How?
117 Appendix D